The Businessman's Balance Sheet

The Real Secrets of Internet Millionaire Revealed!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

To boost my chance of winning Mac Book Air from Exabytes, so here are my second review on a second blog of mine. (this count as two entries right?) ;)Great Things About Exabytes New Website Design

The site is divided into a few sectors that are easy on the eyes. You can find what you are looking for (promotion, products, packages) easily. Important product showcase links are located above the fold. So users don’t have to scroll down to view Exabytes offering.

Express Options allow newbies to quickly find a suitable package without going through all the jargons. This will help a lot of people who are not familiar with hosting and domain.

Logos of payment processor and notable clients are clearly displayed. Research has indicated that well known logos do add to website credibility and boost sales.

The footer links is very good for SEO. It allows search bots to crawl inner web pages.What ExaBytes Can Correct (or Add) for Maximum impact to the New Site Design

Suggestions on How to Make This New Website Design Great

Honestly, I am quite disappointed with the overall design of Exabytes new website. It’s nice undeniably but it’s TOO REGULAR for an established hosting company. It didn’t look much different compared to smaller hosting companies. As #1 host in Malaysia, I expect to see a design that stand out. Something unique to Exabytes personality.

The website has “enough” text link, but lacking in texts. This is important for natural on-site SEO purpose. I am aware that Exabytes has a proactive marketing policy and utilize Adwords to the max, but it wont hurt to add more text at the front page. Some welcoming remarks from the CEO maybe? Some guide etc.

The dropdown menu links are a poor choice. First, it’s not search engine indexable and second it obtructs the view and navigations. When scrolling the menus keep dropping down. It make it almost impossible to click on the “Hot News” link. (same problem with Paypal login form)

A local model please for the Xtudent Package promo. It’s hard for the users to relate. A “Malaysian” look will emphasis on Exabytes position as #1 in Malaysia and not just a me-too international hosting company.

A phone number or support model at a prominent place (top corner) will SURELY improve conversion rate.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Imagine: After weeks of hard work, your website is finally live. You've officially been open for business an entire week. And yetyou haven't made any sales. Not. One. Single. Sale.

Arggh!

Don't despair -- we've all been there before. In fact, it's one of the most common problems people ask us to solve for them.

Here's something that'll help ease the pain of turning a "dud" site into one that rakes in the profits... IMC's surefire "My Website Ain't Making Money!" troubleshooting checklist!If you recently launched a new web site and aren't getting the results you expected, you need to ask yourself every single question on the list below, starting at number one. Once you're able to answer "yes" to all ten questions, I guarantee the sales will come rolling in.

Print out the following checklist and start your troubleshooting right now: #1. Is there actually a market for your product?By that I mean, are you positive you're selling a product or solution people are actively looking for online -- and not finding? That is the formula for a successful business.

The best way to answer this question is to do keyword research with a tool like Keyword Discovery or Wordtracker to confirm whether people are using search engines like Google and Yahoo to hunt for something just like your product -- but not finding it.

It all comes back to supply and demand... You want to make sure people actually want to buy your product before you try to sell it! #2. Are you getting enough traffic?Before you can really judge your website's effectiveness, you need at least 1000 unique visitors (not pageviews). If you've only had 100 visitors and haven't made a sale, be patient!

You just need more traffic.

Once you've had 1000 visitors, then you can begin to assess how effective your site really is. #3. Are you getting the right kind of traffic?If you've had 1000+ visitors to your website and you still haven't made a sale, find out where your traffic is coming from. That'll help you know if it's targeted or not. (By "targeted," I mean, visitors who are actively seeking out your product and are therefore extremely likely to buy it.)

The best way to get the RIGHT traffic to your site is by bidding on extremely targeted keywords in the pay-per-click search engines.

If you drive 1000 visitors to your site -- using extremely targeted keywords in your PPC ads -- and you still don't make a sale, then we know the problem isn't the quality of traffic you're getting. It's your website.

So let's take a look at that next... #4. Is your headline effective? If your site doesn't have a compelling headline that clearly communicates a powerful benefit, your potential customers aren't going to stick around to see what you have to offer.

Writing a better headline is typically the easiest way to fix a floundering website. If you get more people to stay on your site and read your offer, more people will buy your product. #5. Are you distracting your visitors from your main sales message?You need to get rid of everything that encourages your visitors think of something other than the product you're selling and the problem it solves.

This includes: links to other websites, Google Adsense ads, banner ads for other products, free articles that don't support the sale... the list goes on.

#6. Are you using testimonials effectively?Like I said in last week's editorial, testimonials are one of your most powerful selling tools.

Nothing says, "Buy it now!" like an unbiased third-party recommendation.

If your site is brand new and you don't have any testimonials yet, give your product to a few friends and ask them to provide you with testimonials on how well it worked for them. #7. Does your guarantee take away the risk of buying?A good guarantee is an essential selling tool -- especially on the Internet. Unless you're a major brand (like Sony, Wal-Mart, Pepsi) that your customers inherently trust, you need to let them know you'll stand behind your product.

Reassure them that if they're not 100% satisfied they can return it to you and get all their money back. And remember, a longer guarantee usually results in more sales -- and fewer refunds! #8. Is your price too high? Or too low?Most people know that if you price your product too high, you'll hurt your sales. But this can also be true if your price is too low.

People get suspicious when the price is far below their expectations. They think it's probably "too good to be true" -- and as a result, they don't feel confident making a purchase. #9. Is your ordering system easy to use?Just because you can figure out how to navigate through your ordering process, it doesn't mean your average customer can.

If you want to make sure your ordering system is "user-friendly," find a few friends who aren't very Internet savvy and get them to order your product.

Watch over their shoulders and take notes. Where did they get stuck?

Make sure you fix whatever problems they encountered -- because your potential customers are encountering them, too -- and most likely leaving your site in frustration without buying! #10. Do you have good salescopy? If you aren't using well-written salescopy to sell your product, then you'll never achieve online success. It's that simple.

Your copy needs to use all of the selling tools I mentioned above to present a strong, linear sales message. It doesn't matter whether your particular site needs short copy or long copy, the fact will always remain: Your product isn't going to sell itself! You need words to do the job. So there they are... the 10 questions we ask whenever we look at a website that's not turning visitors into sales. I have never answered "yes" to all 10 questions without seeing a substantial improvement to the site's conversion rate.

Now, if you're scratching your head, wondering what a good salesletter looks like... how to test pricing... how to write a headline... or how to use the pay-per-click search engines -- then I have to be honest and tell you, you need more help than we can provide in a single newsletter!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

This #1 best-selling course has helped hundreds of thousands of e-business owners successfully market their products on the Internet. “Insider Secrets” leads our clients step by step through the essentials of starting and growing a profitable online business -- to our most advanced Internet marketing strategies. Insider Secrets 2008 -- the ultimate driver's manual for online success And this year, we're certain this version of the course is going to blow all its predecessors OUT OF THE WATER...

... Because we've gone back to the drawing board and rebuild the ENTIRE course from the ground up, in order to be 100% certain it does the BEST possible job of teaching ANYONE -- from the rawest beginner to the most advanced marketer -- everything they need to know to make MORE money online in 2008.

This brand-new Course is a staggering 900 pages of high quality proven content and now includes a ton of new video training!

Here’s the 2008 Course Outline:Step #1. Find Your Niche Market Step #2. Set Up Your Business To Sell The Right Solution Step #3. Write Compelling Salescopy That Turns Visitors Into Buyers Step #4. Design A Website That Compels Visitors To Take Action Step #5. Use An Opt-In Form To Collect Leads And Build Customer Relationships Step #6. Drive Visitors To Your Website And Start Making Sales Step #7. Use Pay-Per-Click Advertising To Get Traffic Fast Step #8. Attract Free Traffic By Optimizing For The Major Search Engines Step #9. Use Email Marketing To Build Customer Relationships And Make More Sales Step #10. Harness The Power Of Affiliate Programs For More Traffic And Sales Step #11. Test, Track, And Optimize Your Marketing For Maximum Results Step #12. Add New Revenue Streams To Grow Your Profits

I guarantee it'll give you a better understanding of what you REALLY need to do to build a successful business that makes real money online!

All the best,

Sabri

P.S. This video is NOT for "magic bullet" seekers who are looking for a get-rich-scheme that'll make them millions overnight! Such a thing just doesn't exist... and in this video, Derek explains why: http://www.marketingtips.com/reality-101/t/923527

... Not everyone can afford to drop $2,000 to $5,000 to fly half-way across the country to attend a 'live' Internet marketing bootcamp.

That's why I was happy to see world-renowned Internet marketing expert Derek Gehl release his very latest seminar in a massive package of 6 DVDswith accompanying 147-page workbook.

Here's a picture of everything you get:

... It's huge, right?

Of course, it's NOT just pretty packaging!

In this presentation, Derek tells you exactly how he worked with his mentor, Corey Rudl, to transform a $25 investment into over $60,000,000 in online sales!

If you've never had the privilege of seeing Derek speak 'live' before, you should know that this guy believes in packing TONS of his latest moneymaking secrets into his weekend bootcamps...

(Very unusual given that most seminar presentators will only give you a TASTE of what they know, and then spend the rest of their stage time peddling their wares!)

... There's no fluff, and Derek is a VERY dynamic speaker which makes him easy to listen to -- and actually pretty hilarious at times!

So in this 6 DVD package, you'll get over 7 hours of video footage where you'll discover...

>>

How to start an Internet business in as little as 48 hours -- and be generating profits by the following weekend!

>>

PLUS, how to grow an EXISTING Internet business by driving 1,000s of buyers to your website using Derek's FREE and dirt-cheap traffic strategies... plus how to convert these visitors into $1,000s in NEW sales instantly!

>>

The #1 research tool for finding NEW lucrative business ideas that absolutely NO Internet business owner can afford to be without... and how to access it for FREE!

>>

Secret strategies for establishing lucrative partnerships, where you do the "selling" and collect 35% to 55% of the profits while your partner looks after actually "fulfilling" the orders.

>>

How to start a web site for less than $100! If you're just getting started, you probably don't have a big budget. So I'll show you how to start using cheap and FREE resources, then how to "upgrade" when the sales start rolling in!

>>

How to develop a brand-new product (for FREE!) in less than 2 weeks.

>>

How to rank at the top of the search engines and directories (like Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, ODP, AllTheWeb, Ask, and more!)

... Plus tons more, so you can watch the video highlights of Derek's ENTIRE two-day seminar -- right from the comfort of your own home!

Remember: The strategies that Derek shares on these DVDs have already been successfully used by thousands of REAL PEOPLE to grow profitable Internet businesses that are generating incomes of $100,000... $250,000... $500,000 per year (and more!).

So it's not unreasonable for you to expect that, if you watch the DVDs and follow the instructions that Derek provide, you can enjoy similar great results!

I give Derek's brand-new "Internet Millionaire's Protege Bootcamp Videos" my very highest recommendation. This is a massive package, packed with over 7 hours of wealth-building strategies and resources that you'd otherwise be forced to pay $1,000s to get by attending one of Derek's few annual seminars.

Monday, February 11, 2008

It's a whole new world out there... and if you don't jump on this super-hot new trend RIGHT NOW, these changes are going to crash down on your head like a tidal wave and sweep away your chances of achieving online success -- for GOOD!"

Sigh...

How many times have you seen overblown "scare" pitches like this, telling you that the world of Internet marketing has been turned on its head, and only the savvy elite will survive the changes that are coming?

Every time I see something like this, I shake my head.

Sure, the Internet is growing and evolving... But the fundamental rules for making great money online have NOT changed at all.

And it drives me absolutely CRAZY when "flash-in-the-pan" marketers use fear tactics to try and scare people into buying "The next hottest thing!"

The shocking secret is, there IS no secret!

I know that's a funny thing to hear from the guy who sells a best-selling marketing course called, "Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet!"

But the fact is, there is no real "mystery" involved in creating a money-making online business.

All you need to do is follow these six steps: Step #1: Find your niche market Look for a NEED and then find a way to fill it. And make sure that whatever product or service you come up with, people are willing to pay for it!

Also, you absolutely MUST research your competition to make sure your niche isn't overcrowded with competitors who offer perfectly good solutions to the problem you want to solve for your customers, Otherwise, there may not be enough room for your business to grow and thrive. Step #2: Make sure you sell the right solution You have to come up with a product or service that does a good job of solving your market's problem.

And there has to be something truly "special" about it!

You need to have some sort of "unique selling proposition" (USP) -- something that sets your product or service apart from every other product out there. Step #3: Keep visitors glued to your site with compelling salescopy When you have an online business, the WORDS on your site are going to be your best salesperson -- so you have to make sure they do the best possible job of selling the benefits of your product to your potential customers.

Step #4: Design a site that leads visitors straight to the order button You have to make sure your website gives people exactly what they're looking for -- and makes it EASY for them to buy your product! Step #5: Use an "opt-in" to collect leads and build customer relationships Most people won't buy from you unless they feel like they know you. That's why you need to capture your visitors' email addresses so you can build relationships with them over time. Otherwise, you'll only ever make a fraction of the sales you could be getting. Step #6: Advertise your business to the people who are MOST LIKELY TO BUY The beauty of the Internet is that you can laser-target your advertising so you only present your message to the people who are most interested in buying your product. And traffic channels like the 'Net's top search engines can help you drive thousands of qualified leads to your site -- for little or no money!

... And that's basically it!

At IMC, ALL the products we sell are based on these bedrock fundamentals of online marketing. (As opposed to, say, overnight sensations like the Web 2.0 hype!) All of these 6 steps are essential to the success of your business.Once you have mastered all of these steps, you will be the proud owner of a website that's guaranteed to generate you healthy profits.

HOWEVER, if you skip a single step, or do them out of order, you won't achieve the kind of success you're hoping for.

And you'll probably end up wasting a lot of time (not to mention blood, sweat, and tears) trying to correct a painful situation you never would have experienced if you had done all these steps properly in the first place! Are you confused by any of these 6 steps, or experiencing problems implementing any of them in your business?

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Testing is absolutely essential if you want to improve the performance of your auction listings and maximize your profits. After all, how else will you know which parts of your sales process are pulling the best results -- and which are just pulling you down?

Luckily, eBay is the perfect platform for testing. You can run as many tests as you want all at the same time or consecutively. Run one "control" listing and then for each test listing, change one element. When the results come in, take all the elements that outperform the control and add them. Now run more tests against your new, improved control listing.

Once you find out exactly what strategies are working for you, you can duplicate your results -- which will take your eBay business to new and more profitable heights. Let's dive in with the 10 most critical elements of your auction listings you can tweak for MAXIMUM profits:

Your offer. Your offer includes your main item plus any incentive items you may have included. Try emphasizing different benefits or including a couple of bonus items. For example, if you're selling a manual camera, try including a free roll of film with every purchase to see if that raises your final sales price. Another terrific offer to consider testing is free shipping, especially on bulk orders. Measurable metric: Ending price

Auction title. Your auction title is what initially captures shoppers' attention and compels them to visit your auction. So test variations of keywords, brand names, abbreviations like NR (no reserve), or variations of descriptive words.

One of our advanced eBay mentors tested two auction titles against each other over the holidays: one with the word "reindeer" against a title with the word "sleigh." The result? The title with the word "sleigh" performed twice as well as the other -- and increased his final selling price by an average of $15 per item! If he hadn't tested, he never would have known.

Measurable metrics: Number of visitors, Ending price

Subtitles. Try out a few of these at different times of the year to see if they bring more people to your auctions. Since subtitles are not searchable when someone does a basic search by title, focus on using persuasive and motivating text to get people to click through to your listing.

Measurable metric: Number of visitors

eBay listing features like bold, border, or highlight. These features should be tested carefully before being rolled out on a larger scale because they'll cost you!

These upgrades are easy to test; just run a listing with and without them around the same time, then compare the results.

Measurable metric: Number of visitors

Gallery image. Usually the Gallery image -- the small "thumbnail" version of your picture in the search results page -- increases the number of people who will click through to your auction.

But if you're selling hundreds of a particular item, definitely test a few listings without it. If it doesn't affect your final sales price or your sales volume, drop the picture. Eliminating the 35 cents it will set you back per listing can add up to considerable savings over time.

Measurable metric: Number of visitors

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Your product description. Tweak your product description until it's the most compelling and most descriptive it can be. Consider adding some testimonials or moving around any photos within your description.

Experiment with your product benefit descriptions, salescopy formatting, design/layout, and placement of images, and so on until you find the best combination.

Remember to test only one element at a time -- for instance, you might try out four different headlines against your control, leaving all the other auction elements the same.

By running all five listings at the same time, you'd know which headline worked best as soon as the auctions ended.

Pricing strategies. Finding your optimum pricing strategy can have a huge impact on the final selling price of your item. And the only surefire way to find out if you should start the bidding on your auctions low, high, or with a BIN option is to run some tests.

Find out what works best for your product. Does a low starting bid result in more bids? Or does starting high increase the perceived value and encourage more sales? Some sellers find the Buy It Now option brings more profits than through bidding -- particularly if they're selling mass-produced items.

The number of photos you include. Having great pictures is one of the key elements of your sales process. They play a major role not only in generating more bids, but also in raising the final sales price. So make sure to run some test auctions with different numbers of photos to measure the impact they have your sales.

Taking top-quality pictures of the items you're selling can take a lot of time and effort. So if you find that certain items sell for the same amount whether you use one picture or eight, then don't waste your time snapping a lot of useless photos that don't add any value to your listing.

This is more likely to be true for cheaper items, but assume nothing, and test!

Measurable metrics: Visitor-to-bid conversion rate, Ending price

Duration and timing of your auctions. Make sure you test different auction lengths per item grouping: three, five, seven, and ten days. You may be surprised at the results!

Your auction will also get the most attention the first day it's posted and a few hours before it ends. Think about your target market, look at the busiest times on your auctions, and try starting and ending your auctions at different times and on different days.

Design elements in your description. After you've tested all the things listed so far, you can start testing your choice of font and the colors used in your description, as well as any other such design elements.

Product descriptions need to be "scannable," which means that visitors to your auctions can see the key messages just by scanning the listing instead of having to read every word.

Test different headline sizes, use of highlighting or bolding, and the use of bullet point lists outlining the benefits of your product.

Measurable metrics: Visitor-to-bid conversion rate, Ending price

Just remember to test only one of these elements at a time so you know exactly what element is accounting for a change. Also, you should create a test for each type of product you sell. What works for one kind of product won't necessarily work for another.

Knowledge is power. Testing and tracking your results can give you exclusive access to the kind of powerful knowledge that can have a HUGE impact on your business.

Make no mistake: to truly be successful on eBay, you MUST test everything you can, and test often! Unless you do, you'll never know how much profit you're letting slip through your fingers. And as eBay continues to put more emphasis on developing new technologies and selling techniques, ongoing testing of your auction elements becomes even more important.